Inside the Moscow Kremlin: Towers and Cathedrals
I've entered the Kremlin. This is the very Kremlin that Tom Cruise's character, Ethan, blows up in Mission: Impossible 3 or 4. Ethan, you son of a b***h. Whether it's because it's the symbol of the Soviet Union, because of the movie, or because of the anti-communist education I received, I've always pictured this building with a cold, snowy winter image. Come to think of it, I had no idea what was actually inside the Kremlin. But the word "Kremlin" itself carries a sense of Soviet power and fear, along with something mysterious hidden within.
The UNESCO World Heritage-listed Moscow Kremlin is so famous that when people say "Kremlin," this is the one that comes to mind. However, I heard that every old Russian city actually has its own kremlin. The word "kremlin" translates to "fortress," and the Moscow Kremlin is truly a fortress. Just looking at it, the sheer size and intimidating presence make it clear that charging in would be a terrible idea—you'd think, "I'd definitely die if I attacked that." The photos of the Kremlin I saw in the 90s always featured snow or a gloomy atmosphere. But seeing it with my own eyes today, it's a massive, beautiful structure surrounded by a stunning red wall that stretches on endlessly in a circle. Like Lake Baikal, the Kremlin's grandeur and majesty just can't be captured in photos; you have to see it in person to truly feel it. And you also have to see the sheer volume of Chinese tourists in person to truly feel that, too.
Even before arriving at the Kremlin, the watchtowers catch your eye from afar. At first, I thought they were just large clock towers, but once you get there, you realize they are entrances. The Moscow Kremlin features the Spasskaya, Kutafiya, Troitskaya, and Borovitskaya towers. The first one you notice is the Spasskaya Tower, located next to St. Basil's Cathedral. I heard it used to be open, but it's closed now and mostly just serves as a photo spot.
Past Red Square and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, you'll see the Troitskaya Tower. You buy your ticket at a nearby booth and enter through here. When buying tickets, backpacks are considered luggage and must be checked in. After touring the inside, you exit near the Borovitskaya Tower, though I heard this gate is actually for vehicles only. I thought the entire Kremlin was a tourist attraction, but access to some buildings is restricted, presumably because they are used by the government. Only a few expensive cars that enter through the Borovitskaya Tower are allowed in. Everyone around knows when a car is coming because they roar through the entrance at breakneck speeds. It's a sight I saw often at Lake Baikal, but I didn't expect them to floor the accelerator here, too.
Heading further inside and past the Tsar Cannon, you'll see the cathedrals. The first one is the Assumption Cathedral (Uspensky Sobor). The most touching part about going inside the Kremlin cathedrals was finding information guides in Korean, not just English. The translation felt a bit stiff, like it might have been done by an ethnic Korean from Russia or China rather than a native South Korean, but it was perfectly fine for understanding what I was looking at. Photography wasn't allowed inside, so I didn't take any pictures, but the Russians were snapping away without a care. It's a shame I didn't get any good shots because I hadn't yet realized how relaxed they were about taking photos.
To the left of the Assumption Cathedral is the Ivan the Great Bell Tower. True to its name, you can see several bells. It would probably be spectacular to hear them all ring at once, but I wasn't that lucky; I could only confirm that there were indeed a lot of bells. The bells are one thing, but the building itself is exceptionally tall. Because of this, when you look into the Kremlin from far outside its walls, the gleaming golden structure you see is this very bell tower.
Walking a little further, you'll spot the Archangel Cathedral. Most non-Russians who go inside find it boring and just walk right back out. It houses the tombs of various Russian royals, but since you have no idea whose tomb is whose or what these people actually did, it just looks like a public cemetery. Fortunately, thanks to the Korean guide, I was able to properly appreciate things like the mural of Michael on the wall before leaving. Strangely enough, I don't have any photos of the Archangel Cathedral.
Right across from it is the Annunciation Cathedral (Blagoveshchensky Sobor). The Mongol-era artifacts inside are so well-preserved that they look like they could still be used today. It was surprisingly the most amazing spot; they even had illustrations showing how the ornaments were actually worn, making it easy to imagine.
Since these are all cathedrals, most of the wall space is taken up by holy paintings (icons). If you're familiar with Catholicism or Protestantism, you might find it fascinating to see these somewhat flat-looking depictions of Jesus and Mary. However, after seeing icon after icon repeatedly, you eventually get exhausted and stop absorbing anything. There are so many that you really have to just focus on the important ones and skim past the rest.
The Armoury Chamber and the Diamond Fund inside are famous among women, so you can see a lot of ladies going in with their husbands being dragged along behind them. We weren't particularly interested, though, so we skipped it. I'm the kind of person who gets dizzy looking at jewels, terrified that I might accidentally damage something, so I passed on it this time. I get dizzy just walking into a Tiffany's.
I've just been listing off building descriptions, but honestly, once you're inside, there isn't much to do besides take pictures. The inside of the Kremlin is more of a "been there, done that" experience; it doesn't really make you think, "I need to come back here again." If you're on a tight budget and don't care much about the icons inside the buildings, my highly recommended way to enjoy the Kremlin is to just sit in Red Square, sip on a drink, and gaze at it, or space out on a bench in the Alexander Garden while looking at the walls. Still, since you've come all this way, it's probably worth paying the roughly 10,000 KRW equivalent to at least take a look around and see what it's like.
Expenses (per person / might be for two)
- Breakfast: Shashlik pilaf 250 RUB
- Lunch: Mu-Mu 820 RUB
- Kremlin 500 RUB
- St. Basil's Cathedral (for two) 700 RUB
- Dinner: Salad, bread, sauce 300 RUB; Chicken 125 RUB; Shashlik 126 RUB; Ikra (caviar) 100 RUB; Vodka (251 RUB out of 400 RUB)
Total Expenses: 2,521 RUB
Total Trip Expenses: 525,936 KRW + 21,012 RUB + $53.16